Dispenser for packets, packages or envelopes and the like



June 13, 1967 P AV 3,324,754

DISPENSER FOR PACKETS, PACKAGES OR ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE Filed July 20, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l "Will" ATTORNEYS June 13, 1967 A. PEAVY 3,324,754

DISPENSER FOR PACKETS, PACKAGES OR ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE Filed July 20, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I: I m l H IIJI I" I I" 1 II I I m '1 4- 'i Ir?" 15 53 N H M 1 2.! L 60 62 I l Ji 39 I I 61 1| 130 15 II A 16 I} 116 35 II I .1 H /z INVENTOR. 4Z7 4 ALTON PEAVY f ATTORNE Y S June 13, 1967 A. PEAVY 3,324,754

United States Patent Ofitice 3,324,754 DISEENSER FOR PACKETS, PAKAGES R ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE Alton Peavy, 40 Peachtree Valley Road, Apt. J5, Atlanta, Ga. 30399 Filed July 20, 1964, Ser. No. 383,712 4 Claims. (Cl. 83-4548) This invention relates to a dispenser and is particularly concerned with a dispenser for packets, packages or envelopes and the like by which the seal is disrupted as an incident to the delivery of the package from a dispensing mechanism.

While the disruption of the seal as an incident to the delivery of a packet, package or envelope may in many instances be a convenience to the recipient, the present invention is further concerned with a disruption of the seal in order to dissuade persons from over indulgence by securing a multiplicity of items from a free dispensing source. While the present inventive concept may be applicable in the storage and dispensing of a wide variety of items, the instant form of the invention is more particularly designed for the free dispensing of sealed envelopes of moist cleansing tissues. In the dispensing of such items there is an inclination towards persons taking numbers thereof in addition to those required for immediate use against the intended purpose of the proprietor. However, with items of this nature, in particular, as Well as a wide variety of other products, the disruption of the seal renders the product of little value except for immediate use. In the particular product referred to moisture quickly evaporates when the envelope is opened making the material valueless for its intended purpose. Obviously the same situation pertains with respect to a wide variety of products which may be sealed within various types of packets, packages or envelopes as for instance other perishable items or spillable granular material.

It is therefore among the primary objects of the present invention to provide a dispensing means for sealed packets, packages or envelopes and the like, including means for disrupting of the seal thereof as an incident to the delivery of each package from a dispensing container. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described which may be readily adjusted to receive a plurality of articles of differing character as to size and shape and by which the cabinet may be readily adjusted to accommodate the article selected to be dispensed. It is a further object of the invention to provide in combination with a dispenser for sealed articles, a readily applied and removed severing device to disrupt the seal of an article as it is dispensed therefrom. Numerous other objects and features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specifications taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one presently preferred form of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an illustration of one size and shape envelope to be dispensed in the dispenser of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a different size and shape of envelope to be dispensed from the cabinet of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the cabinet of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a detailed fragmentary view of an alternative type of knife and discharge opening for a dispenser of the general type shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1.

From the drawings it will be seen that, in the present form of the invention, the dispenser is generally rectangu- 3,324,754 Patented June 13, 1967 lar both in vertical and horizontal cross section. The total dispenser includes a rectangular outer casing 10 open at its upper end and including rectangular front, rear and side walls 11, 12, and 13 respectively together with a rectangular bottom wall 14. The front Wall 11 defines a transverse discharge slot 15 guarded by downwardly inclined flanges 16 at each end. Between the flange there is provided a circular opening 18 to permit fingers to grasp the edge of the lowermost envelope of a stack of envelopes located within an envelope container 20 in the manner hereinafter described. The envelope container 20 which is open at the front and closed at the top by a transverse rectangular wall 21, includes side walls 22 and a rear wall 24. The size and configuration of the container 20 is commensurate with the internal dimensions of the external casing 10 but slightly smaller so as to be slidably received within the external casing 10. As indicated at 25 the envelope container has a transverse envelope supporting floor spaced upwardly from the lower edges of its open side walls 22 and registering with the lower edge of the slot 15. The central front edge of the floor 25 is recessed as at 26 in registration with the opening 18 so that a finger may be inserted under the lowermost envelope of those stacked on the floor 25.

At one side an aperture 28 is provided in the floor 25 to receive therethrough a cutting blade here shown as a conventional razor blade 30. The blade 30 is positioned in angular fashion as shown with one corner projecting upwardly from the surface of the floor 25. The blade is centrally supported through the usual aperture therein by a pin 31 extending therethrough and is retained in its angular position by a front pin 32 therebelow supporting the forward portion of the blade and a rear pin 33 engaging the top edge of the blade and/or the blade may be retained by projections 31' extending into its control slot. By this arrangement as an envelope is withdrawn forwardly through the slot 15 it will be engaged by the blade to be slit disrupting its seal, being forced into such engagement by the downward direction of the projecting flanges 16. From the central portion in the floor 25 a securing shaft 34 extends downwardly to pass through an aperture 35 of the bottom wall 14 of the outer casing 19. An aperture 36 through the shaft 34 is provided to permit insertion of a retaining member such as a padlock or the like whereby the outer casing 10 and the container 20 may be retained in assembled position and locked against unauthorized removal of the envelopes.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 it will be noted that two sizes of envelopes are contemplated for the present dispenser. In FIG. 2 the envelope is as wide as the full width of the container 20 but not as long as the depth of the container. The envelope of FIG. 3 is of a length equal to the depth of the container 29 but of substantially less in width. In order to adapt the container 20 for the reception of the narrow envelopes of FIG. 3, a groove 37 is provided in the upper face of the floor 25 together with a registering groove 38 on the inner face of the top wall 21. The spacing of the grooves from the inner wall is equal to the width of the longer envelope. As shown at 39 a slidable false side plate is provided to slide in the grooves so as to reduce the effective width of the container to the width of the longer and narrower envelopes of FIG. 3. It will be noted that the plate 39 is formed with a vertical break line 41 defining a wing 40. When the wing 41) is broken from the body of the plate the remainder provides a plate dimension conforming to the height and width of the container 20. Thus with the wing removed the plate may be placed in a parallel position with respect to the back 24 of the compartment but spaced forwardly therefrom to conform the container to the size of the shorter envelopes. Pins 53 are provided for retaining the plate when reduced in size in appropriate spaced relation from the back to form a false back.

The embodiment of the invention presented in FIG. 5 provides a single point blade 130 mounted between a blade cavity forming projection 60 on the face of the front 11 and an inner wall 61. Access to the blade is provided by the aperture 62. The point of the blade projects below the inner end of the lip 16 while an under lip 116 extends upward towards the lip 16. Thus in withdrawing an envelope, the envelope is bent over the lip 116 and under the lip 16. Since the lip 116 extends above the cutting edge of the blade 130 cutting of the envelope as it is withdrawn is insured.

With the envelopes of either size stacked within the container 20, upon the floor 25 and located by the false side or back and with the container 20 located within the outer casing 10, it will be seen that fingers may be inserted through the opening 18 to engage the front edge of the lowermost envelope. Upon withdrawing an envelope, it will be seen that the angle of the flanges 16 together with the weight of superposed envelopes will force the envelope into engagement with the blade to cut the envelope. Such slitting or cutting of the envelope not only facilitates the removal of the contents but exposes the contents for immediate use. However, since the contents deteriorate with exposure to air, the disruption of the seal as a necessary incident to Withdrawal of the envelope will discourage the removal of an unnecessary plurality of envelopes by persons who might choose to keep the envelopes and their content for use at a later date or in other places.

While the present invention has been shown for use in the dispensing of sealed packets of treated cleaning tissue, it will be understood that the invention is in no way limited to use with small packages, packets, or envelopes here suggested. Packages of various types of materials may be dispensed by the device of the present invention and the slitting of the packets will deter those otherwise tempted to extract numbers of the packets since the cutting will disrupt the seal and spill the contents or subject it to deterioration by contact with the air. Though the invention is not concerned with the details of structure or the material used, it will be noted that the particular arrangement here shown is well adapted for the manufacture of the device by plastic injection molding, thus the device may be manufactured with a minimum of cost and provide a pleasing appearance.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for envelopes and the like including an inner container to receive said envelopes, a supporting floor within said container for supporting envelopes thereon, an outer casing including a front wall defining a discharge slot therein, said outer casing being of such size as to receive said container therein with said supporting floor substantially aligned with said discharge slot, cutting means mounted adjacent said discharge slot, and means for urging an envelope against said cutting means as an envelope is withdrawn through said discharge slot.

2. A dispenser for envelopes and the like including an inner container having side walls and a back wall, a supporting floor disposed between said side walls and spaced from one end of said side walls, said supporting floor being disposed perpendicular to said side walls to receive a plurality of envelopes thereon, a cutting blade supported by one of said side Walls inwardly of said one of said side walls, said cutting blade projecting through a slot in said supporting floor such that a portion of said cutting blade is disposed above said supporting floor; an outer casing having a pair of side walls, a back wall attached to said side walls, a front wall attached to said side walls, and a bottom attached to said side walls and to said front and back walls, said outer casing being of such size as to receive said inner container therein in telescoping fashion, said front wall of said outer casing having a discharge slot therein that is in substantially the same plane as said supporting floor when said inner container is received within said outer casing, a flange attached to said front wall of said outer casing immediately above said discharge slot, said flange extending outwardly and downwardly to cover said discharge slot, the arrangement being such that, when one of said envelopes is urged through said discharge slot, said flange will urge said envelope downwardly against said cutting blade so the bottom surface of said envelope will be slit by said cutting blade.

3. The device as set forth in claim 2 characterized by a plate received in said container to alter the effective inside dimensions of said container.

4. A dispenser for envelopes and the like including an inner container having side walls, and a back wall, a supporting floor disposed between said side walls and spaced from one end of said side walls, said supporting floor being disposed perpendicularly to said side walls to receive a plurality of envelopes thereon; an outer casing having a pair of side walls, a back wall attached to said side walls, a front wall attached to said side walls, and a bottom attached to said side walls and to said front and back walls, said outer casing being of such size as to receive said inner container therein in telescoping fashion, said front wall of said outer casing having a discharge slot therein that is in substantially the same plane as said supporting floor when said inner container is received within said outer casing, an upper flange attached to said front wall of said outer casing immediately above said discharge slot, said flange extending downwardly and outwardly to cover said discharge slot, and a lower flange attached to said front wall of said outer casing immediately below said discharge slot, said lower flange extending outwardly and upwardly to terminate beneath said upper flange, a cutting blade mounted on said front wall and extending through said upper flange to have a portion of said cutting blade in the plane of said discharge slot, the arrangement being such that, when one of said envelope is urged through said discharge slot, said lower flange will urge said envelope upwardly against said cutting blade so the top surface of said envelope will be slit by said cutting blade.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,105,182 7/1914 Caspers et al. 30-2 1,179,776 4/1916 Swift 221-41 2,085,395 6/1937 Sebell 221-41 2,159,914 5/1939 Tweedale 221-31 X 2,822,953 2/1958 Kunath 221-261 X 2,913,144 11/1959 Myers 221--44 3,156,378 11/1964 Bua 221-197 3,204,762 9/1965 Shanok et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 275,997 7/1914 Germany.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER OF ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE INCLUDING AN INNER CONTAINER TO RECEIVE SAID ENVELOPES, A SUPPORTING FLOOR WITHIN SAID CONTAINER FOR SUPPORTING ENVELOPES THEREON, AN OUTER CASING INCLUDING A FRONT WALL DEFINING A DISCHARGE SLOT THEREIN, SAID OUTER CASING BEING OF SUCH SIZE AS TO RECEIVE SAID CONTAINER THEREIN WITH SAID SUPPORTING FLOOR SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID DISCHARGE SLOT, CUTTING MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID DISCHARGE SLOT, AND MEANS FOR URGING AN ENVELOPE AGAINST SAID CUTTING MEANS AS AN ENVELOPE IS WITHDRAWN THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE SLOT. 